Washing machine



June 3, 1952 H. J. RAND 2,599,433

WASHING MACHINE Filed Jan. 51, 1948 [4272 20 24 l7 l6 &

INVENTOR- HENRY J RAND ATTORNEYS Patented June 3, 1952 WASHING MACHINE:

Henry J .Raml, Bratenahl, Ohio, assignor .to H. J; Rand, Washing Machine Com, Bratenahl', Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio ApplicationJanuary 31, 1948,- Serial No. 5,628

8 Claims.

Thisinvention relates to improvements in a vacuum. breaker for use in connection with washing machine of the type in which a flexible bag is: collapsedagainst the laundry to squeeze the detergent out of the same;

One-of, the objects of the present invention is to provide meansior, automatically breaking the vacuum in: the type of washing machine mentioned above after each vacuum drying operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide novel control means for theflow of liquid and'airinto, and out of a washing machine of the. vacuum drying type.

Otherobjects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and description and the essential features-will be setforth in the appended claims.

Inthe drawings,

Fig. 1' is,; a central sectional view. through a, washing machine equipped with my invention;

Fig. :2 is an enlarged fragmental sectional. View showing the central portion. of Fig. l in greater detail;.. U

F g. 3v isa fragmental sectio a1. view take along-the line 3-3.of Fig. 2, whil I Figs. 4 and 5 are similar to Figs. 2, and '3 respectively, showing different condition of the arts-.

p In, order to use vacuum drying in connection with Washing-machines, it is desirable that the apparatus be so arrangedithat, if avacuumshould occur within the supply line, no. contaminated waterrcould-be carried out of the washing-machine into the supply line. Thepresent invention accomplishes this in a :washing machine-of thetrpemore fully disclosed and described in my-copending application, Serial No, 682,322, filed July 9, 1946, Patent No. 2,472,682, to which reference may be had for a more complete cr ption- The machine here shown comprises a flexible bag H] which is supported within a suitable wall H. Suitable means is provided centrally of the bag-l tor causing awashing action of the laundry-placed therein. The bag has an open neck Hid-through which laundry and soap are introdueecl; A-cover I2 is provided for this opening and thecover carries a seal l3 adapted to produce anair tight joint when vacuum is produced within, the-bag for a drying operation. This sealing device is more fullydisclosed and claimed inmycopending application, Serial No. 5,623, filed ,JanuaryBl, 1.948.. The cover here shown tilizesa spac n ring 14 which is. rigi ly c nnected with aninner cover member l w i hrfl s down into: the neck of the bag- In. the present form of. my device, liquid. is introduced intothe bag It through-flexible rubber tubing.l6.' This, tubing fits tightly-into the-opening -l1 where it passesithrough the spacing. ring. l4-so. asto permit. a good vacuum to. be drawn within --the bag, as. will later appean. It shouldbeuundere stoodthat therubber tubing at least at the zone lfia-is. molded inthe forms shown in Figsxl andh. In other words, the normal conditionwfvthe tubing at this point is flat with no opening-fin thecenter. The free end of the rubber tube is provided with an elbow lfib turned downwardly Within a sleeve member H! which opens to :the interior. of 'thebag ll). Tubing I6-is mounted through sleevemember 18 in an airand-liquidtight manner, such as by theprovision of Suite able securing gaskets or other means well-known to those skilled in the art. It is thus-apparent that water introduced through the tube [6.will pass. downwardly through the sleeve member. I8 into the bag for the purpose of filling the same. It will be noticed. in Figs 1 that the open end of the elbow [6b is some distance above the plane rs at the open neck of the bag. The purpose of this arrangement is that if water fills. to the top of the bag it. will overflow at the plane, [9 before it reaches the open end of the elbowllib.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, the sleeve I8 is provided with an opening lBa which is adapted to be closed or opened by a valve 20. This valve is mountedon a stem2l which in turn is pivotally mounted to a bell crank .22 which in turn. is pivotally mounted at .23 on the cover-l2. The other arm of. the bell crank. carries arollerl24. which rests upon the rubber tubing 16.. A, coiled helical spring 25 is held between the guide bracket 26, and the. head of the valve 20 to urge the valve. toward closed position and to urge-the roller 24 into contact with therubber tubing Hi.v The chamber 21 between the cover .l2 and the inner cover I5 is vented toatmosphere through an, opening 28.

l a counterclockwise direction about the. p votv :23

and will pull upon the stem 2| to open valve 20 against the bias of spring 25. The result of this operation will be more fully appreciated from a consideration of my copending application, for an automatic washing machine, Serial No. 5,619, filed January 31, 1948, which illustrates how after a washing operation, two rinsing operations take place automatically and sequentially. After the washing operation, a vacuum is created within the bag causing the bag to collapse against the wet laundry tosqueeze the water out of the same. At the close of this squeezing operation the bag and everything in communication with it is under a partial vacuum of a very high nature. It is then desirable to break this vacuum before the rinse water runs into the bag because otherwise the rinse water might fill up clear to the level of the elbow l6b in order to fill the vaccuum. This might result in contamination, of the supply entering through the line 16 if a vacuum. should occur in this supply line at such a time. This .is obviated by my invention wherein the incoming rinse water in the tube [6 will automatically open the valve 20 which will vent the bag through the sleeve I 8, the opening Mia and the opening 280 to atmosphere. When there is no water flowing in the tube I6 then the valve 20 is closed and the machine will operate exactly as described in my above mentioned copending application.

' .I claim:

1. In a washing machine having a flexible liquidand air-tight bag within which laundry and liquid detergent may be placed and having means for withdrawing liquid and air from the interiorof said bag creating a substantial vacuum thereinto cause the latter to collapse against the laundry to squeeze out the detergent by pressure on the outside of said bag, said bag having an open neck and a cover closing said neck, there being a planar seal between said bag neck and said cover permitting fluid flow outwardly only a passageway communicating between the interior of said bag and atmosphere, a valve controlling flow in said passageway, a conduit for introducing liquid into said bag, said conduit terminating above the plane of said seal, and an operative connection for said valve responsive to liquid flow into said bag and so constructed and arranged that it opens said valve responsive to said liquid flow to release said vacuum.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said conduit includes a resilient portion normally self-closing and expansible by liquid flow in said conduit, and said operative connection includes a member operable by expansion of said resilient portion.

3. In a machine for washing materials comprising a flexible liquidand air-tight bag having an aperture providing communication between the interior thereof and the atmosphere, means for creating a vacuum in said bag to squeeze-dry said materials, means to break said vacuum comprising a flexible tubular element to admit fluid to said bag having a passageway therethrough, said passageway being normally closed by contraction of the walls thereof and adapted to open by expansion of the walls thereof upon admission of fluid therethrough, and a valve means responsive to the opening and closing of said passageway, whereby said aperture is closed, when said passageway is closed, and said aperture is opened when said passageway is open.

4. In a washing machine having a flexible liquidand air-tight bag within which laundry and liquid detergent may be placed and having means for withdrawing liquid and air from the interior of said bag creating a substantial vacuum therein to cause the latter to collapse against the laundry to squeeze out the detergent by atmospheric pressure on the outside of the bag, a passageway communicating between the interior of said bag and atmosphere, a valve controlling flow in said passageway, means for introducing liquid into said bag including a conduit having a resilient portion normally self-closing and expansive by liquid flow into said conduit, and an operable connection for said valve responsive to liquid flow into said bag, said connection including a member operable by expansion of said resilient portion, said connection being so constructed and arranged that it opens said valve responsive to said liquid flow to release said vacuum.

5. In a combined washing and extracting machine of the type employing a flexible liquidand air-tight bag in which the washing means is located and having successive requirements for filling said bag with liquid for washing and collapsing of said bag-by vacuum for extraction, said bag having a passageway, a vacuum breaker characterized by a valve actuated to open and close said passageway to said bag, said passageway communicating with the atmosphere, means for maintaining said valve in normally closed position during collapsing of said bag by vacuum, inlet means comprising a conduit for admitting liquid under pressure to said bag for washing and rinsing, and means responsive to fluid pressure in said conduit to open said valve.

6. In a combined washing and extracting machine of the type employing a flexible liquidand air-tight bag in which the washing means is located and having successive requirements for filling said bag with liquid for washing and collapsing of said bag by vacuum for extraction, said bag having a passageway, a vacuum breaker characterized by a valve actuated to open and close said passageway to said bag, said passageway communicating with the'atmosphere, means for biasing said valve in a normally closed position, inlet means comprising a conduit for admitting liquid under pressure to said bag for washing and rinsing, and means responsive to fluid pressure in said conduit to open said valve.

'7. In a combined washing and extracting machine of the type employing a flexible liquidand air-tight bag in which the washing means is located and having successive requirements for filling said bag with liquid for washing and collapsing of said bag by vacuum for extraction, said bag having a passageway, a vacuum breaker characterized by a valve actuated to open and close said passageway to said bag, said passageway communicating with the atmosphere, 2. spring means biasing said valve to closed position, inlet means comprising a conduit for admitting liquid under pressure to said bag for washing and rinsing, and means responsive to fluid pressure in said conduit to open said valve.

8. In a combined washing and extracting machine of the type employing a flexible liquidand air-tight bag in which the washing means is located and having successive requirements for filling said bag with liquid for washing and collapsing of said bag by vacuum for extraction, said bag having a passageway, a vacuum breaker characterized by a valve actuated to open and close said passageway to said bag, said passageway communicating with the atmosphere means for biasing said valve to closed position, inlet means comprising a conduit having a flexible portion for admitting liquid under pressure to said bag for Washing and rinsing, and. means responsive to fluid pressure in said flexible 130? tion to open said valve HENRY J. RAND.

Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Koppitz i June 6, 1911 Fetterly Mar. 7, 1939 Schlalos Apr. 18, 1939 Alwai'd Oct. 31, 1939 Clark July 23, 1940 Wales Mai. 25, 194'! Baade Sept. 21, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Number Great Britain Jan. 22, 1931 

